Barskin's Department Store - Martinsville, Indiana
Posted by: BruceS
N 39° 25.599 W 086° 25.651
16S E 549273 N 4364280
Historic former store building now residential apartments in Martinsville, Indiana.
Waymark Code: WM7C64
Location: Indiana, United States
Date Posted: 10/03/2009
Views: 4
"Barskin's Department Store, 109 East Washington Street, Commercial Vernacular, 1922.
This large building is faced with brick from the Martinsville Brick
Company. Two stories in height, the building is plain and practical in design. All original
windows have either been filled or reduced; the most severely altered are the street-level display
windows, now non-existent. The original doors have also been replaced.
When completed in 1922, Samuel Barskin's impressive new department store was the
realization of his dream "to build a big store room, modern and convenient and have departments
for different lines." Consisting of two floors and a basement (on the second floor was a large
auditorium and four large apartments), "the splendid business block," extolled the Martinsville
Republican, was the result of "Mr. Barskin's methods of courtesy and square dealing. . . ." In
November 1940, needing a rest and unable to pass up the deal of a lifetime, Samuel Barskin
leased the building sans merchandise to Sears, Roebuck and Company. Sears left the building
and the city of Martinsville in February 1984. The property was then acquired by a local
contractor and converted into apartments. - Historic District Nomination Form